Township Relocates 12 Families Displaced by 26th Street Fire

March 05, 2018

The five-alarm fire that broke out shortly before noon on Friday, March 2, 2018 in the Applied Housing complex on 26th Street left 12 families displaced from their homes, with their belongings damaged or destroyed.

All of the residents were evacuated safely by the North Bergen Police, North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, and Applied Housing personnel, and none were injured, although one firefighter sustained a minor injury while battling the blaze.

During the fire the North Bergen Free Public Library Kennedy Branch was designated as a reunification center for children and parents, with food, necessities, and entertainment available for kids. The New Jersey Humane Society provided kennels, pet food, and treats for the rescued pets.

The Township of North Bergen the American Red Cross relocated all 12 families to a hotel, and NB C.A.R.E.S. provided them with clothes, food, blankets, toiletries, toys for the children, and other supplies.

The fire apparently started in a second-floor apartment and spread to the third floor. Firefighters were hampered in their efforts to combat the blaze by punishing weather conditions as a result of the Nor’easter hitting the area that afternoon, bringing winds of over 50 miles per hour, along with cold temperatures and a mixture of rain and snow.